The heavyweight Hollywood mogul and talent concentration of power was so tremendous last night that the earth gave way, and opened up, and nearly swallowed Tinseltown. Okay, we are totally kidding. There was, however, a sinkhole in Hollywood last night, caused by a water main that was first reported broken at around 9 p.m. last night, just minutes after the Academy Awards ended. more ›

After what seemed like an endless stream of water main breaks over the past several months experts determined that the disruptive and damaging bursts were likely caused by the stress put on the pipes due to the water rationing schedule implemented by the Department of Water and Power in conjunction with the City Council. more ›

A 6-inch water main ruptured early this morning in South Los Angeles, causing a loss of service to about 20 homes in the area of the break, reports cbs2. By about 4:15 the water was shut off and crews were actively working on repairing the line. No information about the extent of the damage or the cause of the break has been made available as of yet. On Thursday night a main break in Downtown caused extensive flooding and led to some businesses closing for the evening. Water main breaks, thought to be the result of pressure built in the lines from periods of non-use followed by surges of use, have been a rampant issue in L.A. for over a year. more ›

"Call it the New Hollywood," says Jonathan Small, General Manager of Break Media's Creative Lab. "Going pro" is the trend, according to new media agent Brandon Martinez of Abrams Artist Agency. A $1,600 home-grown video can be just as popular as a million-dollar Nike commercial, according to Blip.TV's Dina Kaplan, leaning into the microphone. "We have the metrics to prove it." more ›

This isn't exactly the kind of "movie magic" spectacle Universal Studios is known for: The Los Angeles DWP had a second significant water main break on their hands this morning after a line "that feeds Universal Studios sent torrents of water into the Los Angeles River," according to LA Now. It was a passerby who reported seeing the water gushing over an embankment, which alerted a response crew to go to the scene at the 3700 block of Barham Blvd. near Lakeside Plaza Drive [map]. A fire department spokesperson says no homes were threatened by the line break and flowing water. Earlier this morning the DWP dealt with a line break in the Fairfax Village area. more ›

Considering the recent flooding in Studio City, a fire truck consumed into a Valley Village street and various other floods throughout the city--Melrose Ave., South LA, Exposition Ave.--Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said today that in order to repair the city's older infrastructure within the 7,200 miles of piping, they will ask the City Council to increase water rates, according to the LA Times. more ›

With two major water main breaks over the last week (plus about three more notable ones), the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power is in the hot seat, so to speak. The City Council looked into the issue yesterday and in a statement Councilman Tom LaBonge says he does not want any more surprises. more ›

A little clarification from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power regarding a figure officials told us earlier today. A spokesman writes in: "We have approximately 1400 water main leaks and breaks per year (and this number is on the decline due to our infrastructure replacement endeavors wherein we line the pipes with concrete.) At any rate, 1400 per year equates to approximately 4 per day- a very low number for the nation’s largest municipal utility." more ›

After major flooding in Studio City and a fire truck stuck halfway into the street in Valley Village, there is some hyperawareness regarding water main breaks. Two more water mains broke early this morning in the Mid-City area, which statistically means there should be about two more later today. That's because there are about 1,400 breaks a year, averaging out to four a day, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. Between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m. this morning, two breaks were reported. One on the 1400 block of Hi Point in the Fairfax/Pico area where about 50 customers are without water service, which should return by noon. There was no damage, but there was "a little mud on the street as a result of it," explained spokesperson Gale Harris over the phone. Further north near Fairfax and Beverly, another break occurred on the 100 block of Hayworth, affecting 30 to 50 customers. Harris said the department is investigating to figure if these breaks are related. more ›